PRC Synod 2023 - Day 2 - Wednesday, June 14

The PRC will convene at 8 am in Southwest PRC today. After opening devotions, synod will proceed to the oral examination of Sem. Matt Koerner. This is the schedule as adopted by synod yesterday and which will be followed this morning and Thursday morning:

a. Intro to Dogmatics: 20 minutes (Questions by Prof. Cammenga)
b. Six Loci of Dogmatics: 30 minutes each (Questions by Prof. Cammenga)
c. Church Polity: 45 minutes (Questions by Prof. Gritters)
d. Church History: 45 minutes (Questions by Prof. Kuiper)
e. OT History: 45 minutes (Questions by Prof. Huizinga)
f. NT History: 45 minutes (Questions by Prof. Cammenga)
g. Practica: 20 minutes (Questions by Rev. Mahtani)

The examination will be livestreamed through Southwest PRC's website. Visit the link here for that.

This afternoon synod will begin to treat the advice of its committees (see Day 1's webpage for the layout of the committees and their work).

Sem. M. Koerner with his parents, Jim and Beth Koerner

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Report of Day 2

Immediately after opening devotions, the oral examination of Seminarian Matt Koerner began. Professor Cammenga asked questions for Introduction to Dogmatics, the Study of God, the Study of Man, the Study of Christ, the Study of salvation, the Study of the Church, and the Study of the Last Things.

From June of 2022 to June of 2023 Elders Dave Kregel, Sid Miedema, and Pete VanDerSchaaf, Revs. DeVries and McGeown, and Profs. Dykstra, Griess, and Gritters have served on the Contact Committee. The Contact Committee reported on work with Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Northern Ireland, Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church in Singapore, The Protestant Reformed Churches in the Philippines, The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, The Confessing Protestant Reformed Congregation of Giessen Germany, and The North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council. Synod approved all the above work performed by the Contact Committee.

Synod had the privilege of welcoming and hearing from Rev. Marcus Wee (photo above) from the Covenant Evangelical Church in Singapore and Dr. Bernhard Klautke (photo below) from the Confessing Protestant Reformed Congregation of Giessen Germany. We are thankful for the fellowship we have with these men and the churches they represent in the Lord.

The Contact Committee also reported on some work done by Trinity PRC with contacts in South Korea and work done under the oversight of First PRC (Grand Rapids) in Mexico.

The Contact Committee still communicates with churches in Namibia and South Africa, although there has been little contact in the past year.

Synod approved a budget of $71,000 for the Contact Committee for 2024.

Synod treated a report from the Psalter Revision Review Committee. This committee was appointed in 2020. Members are Belinda Brummel (Zion), Don De Jong (Holland), Michelle Drnek (Trinity), Pam Dykstra (Faith), Matt Elzinga (Zion), Cal Kalsbeek (Hope), Steve Kuiper (Southwest), Rev. W. Langerak (Trinity), and Shelly VanderKolk (Hudsonville). Advisors to the committee are Josh Hoekstra (Hudsonville), Prof. Gritters (Hudsonville), and Prof. Kuiper (Trinity).

The committee reports that it intends to present a final product for the review and approval of Synod 2024.

Synod approved some changes to the doxologies that will be included in the revised Psalter (if the Psalter is approved by Synod 2024). Noteworthy is that synod approved the addition of the Gloria Patri. Approval was also given to proposed changes for the songs of Mary, Zacharias, and Simeon. Synod approved changes of the tunes for the Lord’s Prayer and the addition of tunes and lyrics for the Apostle’s Creed and the Ten Commandments.

Synod approved adding to the mandate of the Psalter Revision Review Committee:

1. To recommend how to implement the use of the revised Psalter should synod approve it,
2. To recommend to Synod 2024 how to publish and print the revised Psalter should synod adopt it, and
3. To take steps to familiarize the denomination with the final product. For more information on the work of the revision of the psalter visit www.thepsalter.net.

Synod failed a motion to declare a protest against a decision of Synod 2022 illegal. It also declared three overtures legally before it. Around 4:30pm synod decided to recess until 8:00am Thursday.

On behalf of synod, Rev. C. Spronk, 2nd Clerk